Nobody
by oreoswithoutmilk
Summary: Before working on the BUS, before Rising Tide, before even all the Avengers were gathered, Skye meet all the Avengers team. As she meets them she struggles to stay out of the spot light.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- this is Marvel's world, I just make changes. Enjoy!**

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She first met Clint at the _Carson Carnival of Traveling Wonders_.

Some of the sisters at the orphanage had taken some of the girls to the carnival after they got 'A's on their report cards. Skye had snuck along, Sister Catherine ignoring the single 'C' in gym. Skye had gotten her five dollars allowance early for the occasion.

She walked with the other girls, staring at the games and booths in amazement. Some of the other girls had saved and convinced more money out of the sisters and went up to every booth in an attempt to win them. None of them actually did, ignoring Skye's advice of throwing the ball to the left to knock down the bottles.

Two of the older girls, Amanda and Victoria had fallen back at lunch and were teasing Skye endlessly over every detail. ("Have you seen your _clothes_? I mean, Lord, get someone to buy you a shirt worth more than fifty cents!" "OMG, I _know_, right!") Skye was resisting the temptation to hit them.

The Sisters always got upset about that kind of stuff.

Skye stayed far enough away from the group that they wouldn't realize that the taunts were lame and physical violence was worth the anger of the sisters.

While the other girls rushed to buy trinkets from a stand with a large gypsy woman in front of it, Skye stared at a poster of a teenager aiming a bow and arrow at the camera. He had the same bored expression that showed up in school pictures. A tight, purple, sleeveless shirt showed off muscles but the entire poster was glowed with the thick sheen of gloss that she didn't know what was photoshopped and what was real.

"I bet a real pretty lady like you wants to see the Greatest Marksman in action, huh?" Skye looked over to see a pudgy man in a pinstripe suit smirking at her. A comb-over was plastered on with sweat and his mustache hung limply. "It's only two dollars and you can see him shoot." He offered. Skye shook her head no.

"Don't have two dollars." She explained. The man instantly turned around and walked to a woman staring at the poster of a "MERMAID LADY!" Skye turned back to the poster and hummed. Maybe when she was rich and famous she would see things like that.

She walked away, turning around the corner to see the boy on the poster leaning on the pole of the tent. A almost used up cigarette was between his fingers, smoke rolling from his mouth as he breathed out. A bow lay beside him, in a distance close enough to be grabbed in a second.

Skye gripped the hems of her sleeves nervously, but walked forward anyway. "Got one to spare?"

The teen over at her and raised an eyebrow. "For you? What are you, five?"

"Nine." Skye corrected.

He laughed. "Because that makes it so much better. Go away, kid. Go find your parents. Save smoking until you're older."

"And you're so much older?" Skye demanded.

"Sixteen, but it doesn't matter. The cigarettes are mine." He took another long drag. "Besides, you wouldn't know how to smoke I bet."

Skye smirked this time, grabbing the cigarette from him and breathing deeply. She had only smoked once other time, with a girl named Abby who had left a year later to move in with her boyfriend after she had gotten pregnant. Thankfully though, she didn't cough and was able to smoke like a pro- at least she assumed. The boy looked appropriately impressed.

"Damn, kid." He said. She grinned, and then started coughing as she breathed in clean air. He laughed at her but it didn't seem to be laughing at her. Skye sat beside him, grabbing another, fresh, cigarette from where it stuck out from his pocket.

"I'm Skye, by the way."

"Clint. Your parent's hippies? Most kids don't have nature names." He asked. Skye shook her head negatively.

"I don't know. Never knew them." She said. He gave a ring of smoke in sympathy. She leaned back on the tent and laughed at the scandalized expression of an old lady walking by. She only imagine the sight they made- smoking with Clint in his carnival outfit and her in a too big sweater and too short shorts.

"Hey, Sharpshooter!" Another kid that looked like an older Clint looked out from the tent. "Your ass is up. People payin' to see ya." He looked at Skye uninterestedly. "Scram."

"She's cool. She can come in to watch the show." Clint spoke up. The other boy looked like he was going to protest and he continued. "I'll handle Duquesne, Barney." He boy- Barney- held up his hands in defeat.

"Whatever. Just come do your shit." He disappeared and Clint nodded at the opening.

"You want to come in? Just for a bit then you'll have to leave." He asked. Skye shrugged. She didn't really want to go get back to the rest of the group.

She walked inside and Clint followed, closing the gap behind her. There was a stool on one side inside and a brightly painted target circle on the other. Skye sat down in the corner and Clint perched on the stool, arrow and bow at the ready. A happy family of three walked in, the large father dragging a lanky boy in and pointing to Clint.

"Here's a real man. You should be more manly." He rumbled. The wife laughed shrilly, and pushed her son forward. "Watch."

Clint looked bored and quickly shot off three arrows, each hitting the center of the bulls-eye. The other boy looked amazed, the parents nudging him again and again. Skye leaned her head against the pole of the tent and closed her eyes for a second.

When she opened them Clint was inches away from her face and snapping. "Hey, kid. You got to leave. Carnival closed thirty minutes ago."

Skye stared in disbelief. "And you've let me sleep until now, why?" He just shrugged.

"You seemed tired." Clint backed up and Skye saw he had changed into jeans and a t-shirt. "Besides, no one called around looking for you." He realised this wasn't the right thing to say a second later and hurriedly added, "they might still be here."

Skye nodded, pushing herself up and taking a few steps to steady herself. "Right. Well, thanks. See you at next year's carnival then." She stepped out of the tent, not surprised to see a slight drizzle greeting her. The weather in this city seemed as dependable as an ADD kid on a sugar high.

She walked the path that the last of the people were. Tents were already being pulled down, and several women who Skye had seen auctioning off jewelry and stuffed animals earlier were sitting on lawn chairs in front of trailers and pointing the direction of the exit, meanwhile having a conversation in what sounded like Greek.

Eventually the exit came into sight, the almost empty parking lot behind it. Skye glanced around for the bright yellow bus, with 'SISTER OF THE CHILDREN ORPHANAGE' written on the side. that they had arrived in, but all she could see were minivans and sportscars. She still walked up and down the aisles. Cars honked at her, more than one driver giving her a concerned look before being distracted by a passenger.

"They left?" Skye turned to see a tall, skinny woman with light purple and pink clothes draped around her looking at Skye in sympathy. Skye moved to deny it but the lady waved a hand like denial didn't really matter. "We always have someone left behind. You an orphan?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Yep. I could tell. Tell you what, kid. You seem sweet. You're stuck here and there is nothing around her for at least an hour by car. You want to join the circus?"

Skye gave her a shrewd look. "You don't know me."

The lady stuck out a hand. "Milly. Unless you talk to my clients. Then I'm Madame Elivana, physic and belly-dancer extraordinaire."

Skye shook it. "Skye." She paused before looking around the parking lot once more. "I won't join, but I could take a ride to the next stop."

Milly grinned. "Okay." She seemed to be smiling to a secret Skye was missing. "You can be my assistant for a bit. Come on, my tent needs to be fully packed into the damn RV."

Somehow a year went by before Skye remembered she was only going to the next town.

She didn't mind. She had moved up from muscle to assistant.

"Skye!" Skye glanced down the tree and saw Clint standing there, a hand held up to block the glare of the sun. "Come on, kid. Food's ready." Skye leaned her head against the bark of the tree and grinned at him.

"Come up here." She countered.

"Kid…" Clint tilted warningly. She grinned bigger, and waved a hand.

"Come on!" Clint shrugged and reached up to grab a branch, pulling himself up to beside her. He sat beside her and looked out.

"What do you want, kid?" He asked. Skye pointed to the space seen through the branches.

"Just look." She said. The tree was on top of a hill, the rest of the forest's tree tops seen from the branch. A sunset was covering the sky available. It was beautiful and Skye couldn't take her eyes off it.

Clint just rolled his eyes. "What the hell is with your Disney scene shit?" He asked, but didn't move. They sat there for a few minutes.

"_The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree, Sing all a green willow; Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee, Sing willow, willow, willow The fresh streams ran by her, and murmured her moans, Her salt tears fell from her, & softened the stones; Sing all a green willow must be my garland. Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve, I call'd my love false love; but what said he then? If I court more women, you'll couch with moe men._" Skye whispered. Clint turned to look consideringly at her.

"What's that?"

Skye shrugged. "A song from Othello," seeing his blank look she explained, "Shakespeare. We have got to get you more cultured, I swear. We read it in English class."

"Fourth grade English class changed since my time."

Skye laughed and bumped his shoulder. "Clint, I wasn't in the Fourth grade. I was in eighth grade English class- in middle school. I skipped a couple grades." Clint gave her a disbelieving stare, more like a gape. "I was really good at math. They let me skip after I annoyed teachers enough."

"Damn kid, your a genius." Clint laughed and Skye blushed. "Don't be embarrassed. You skipped grades because of math. All things considered, you're smarter than half of this show, if not all." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Be proud of that, kid. Don't let anyone make you otherwise." She smiled happily. "Now come on, food's ready and getting cold."

He jumped down, holding arms up to catch Skye who jumped after. She was placed on the ground and they started walking down the hill to the camp. Some of the ladies had set up clotheslines stringing from RV to RV, clothes of all colors draped on the wires. Skye ran through the fabrics, ignoring some of the yells not to. Clint just ducked around them, waving off the yells with yells of his own.

"You haven't taught me Greek in a while." Skye noticed. Clint shrugged.

"You haven't expressed an interest in a while." He said. "Tell me when we have some free time, genius." Skye laughed again, not caring that turning her head got whips of hair in her mouth.

Skye turned back to see most of the camp eating from assortments of bowls, most just drinking straight instead of using spoons. Carnival folk- the main pillars of manners in the community.

"Girlie," Milly called. Skye and Clint walked over and Milly shoved two bowls of food at them. "If you were starin' at the sunset of somethin' stupid like that, we are going to have a talk. Life isn't a movie, yet."

"That's what I told her." Clint said, sipping at his soup.

Skye just rolled her eyes and laughed. Spending so many days cooped up in an orphanage, staring at white walls and cleaning rather than windows and sunshine, this was a movie.

She wouldn't go back to reality now.

The wind blew her hair out of her braid, and Skye clutched the bowl closer over her head. Rain pelted the side of it, making Skye feel like she was back in the ice rink that Clint had taken her to in Montana.

The hitched up her skirt higher, feeling like Milly's comment of, "Put the damn skirt down, girlie. I didn't help you to be a whore," was worth not get the hems mud soaked. Skye wasn't even sure when she has started wearing long skirts and flowing blouses like her mentor, but suspected the decision had come sometime when Milly had her hand in one of the performer's chests, trying to stop the bleeding after the usual bar fight, and had told her to give her her shirt.

She was almost at Milly's tent when a shadow jutted from the door and grabbed her and covered her mouth, pulling her into the shadows. She almost screamed but then the person spoke.

"Keep quiet." Clint. "I'm going to remove my hand." The hand fell and Skye twisted.

"What the hell?" She hissed. Then she froze and her heart stuttered before going twice as fast. "Clint?" His face was white even in the darkness, eyes twitching to the door of the trailer almost involuntarily. He shrugged off his trench-coat, a leather one he was so proud of, and shoved it at her.

"You need to run. The carnival's closing." He let her go and pushed her slightly. "Don't look back, run." Her feet started moving as she pulled on the too big coat. If he said to run, she would. Skye looked back as a loud gunshot went off and Milly screamed. Clint was poised outside of the door, watching carefully. She was tempted to turn back for him but another shot had her running as fast as she could.

If she could run fast enough she could turn back time. Milly would be fine. It would be that morning with Skye yelling out advertisements outside of schools with Clint, ignoring the mocking tones of the students for the prizes in people's pockets. She picked up speed and jumped over the fence surrounding a corn field.

She finally stumbled and fell, falling to all fours on the mud puddles and gasping for air. Her chest was heaving and at one point she was sick on the ground. Skye had no idea if she was crying, she was too numb and everything was soaked.

She eventually stood up and raised her face to the rain. She pushed her hair, now the braid loose and tumbling around her, back from her face.

Time to leave. Time to go back to make something of herself.

On the way running she passed a peeling sign, 'SISTER OF THE CHILDREN ORPHANAGE'.

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**Review and tell me what you think! The next chapter will be up soon. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter. Enjoy!**

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Skye stared at the dorm building in disgust, checking the slip of paper again. The name matched.

She shouldered past a muscle man holding another man in a chokehold, both laughing. A girl in five inch pumps, too tall for walking across muddy grass, was holding a case of beer casually. She waved it up in the air at a boy across the quad who hollered in happiness. Skye forced a smile as a guy bumped into her trying to catch a football.

The dorm room hallways were small, full of doors open with people spilling out and around. Skye walked upstairs two flights and groaned at the sight of even more people milling around. A half-naked guy ran out the door, his chest painted red and grey.

"SCIENCE BOWL CHAMPIONS!" He shouted, stumbling down the hallway. Skye rolled her eyes. What else would MIT get excited for?

Skye found the room that her paper said, walking inside and putting her bag down. It was a big room, much bigger than she expected. "Hey, roomie?" Skye turned to see a short girl standing in the doorway. She had thick square glasses and short brown pixie-cut hair that reminded Skye a little of the Velma character off of Scooby-doo. Skye nodded and the other girl beam, pulling her into a hug. "I'm Chloe." Skye awkwardly pat Chloe's back, wishing the other girl would let her go.

"Cool. I'm Skye." Chloe backed up and waved her hands around her head excitedly.

"That is such a cool name! I wanted to change my name to Summer, because this physic told me that summer was my season. Dad threatened to disown me, though. He's really old fashioned. So, what's your major?"

"Computer science and engineering." Skye said. She felt out of place, but quickly fell into her carnival attitude. Confidence existed only to be shoved as the fall back emotion. Confidence in yourself inspired respect and admiration. It worked well through high school too. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm in for Political Science. I want to be senator one day, then hopefully president." Chloe said, full of confidence. Skye smiled.

A great friendship was starting.

Skye flopped down onto the ground beside Chloe, bent in half she was laughing too much. Chloe took one look and laughed back at her. "You can not handle yourself in public. Seriously, why not wear a shirt that has drunk written on it?" Skye shook her head.

"Not drunk." She denied. "Not drunk at all. High, quite possibly, but not drunk." Skye said. She knew how much it took for her to get drunk, she had found that out a lot over the years, and two beers was not that at all. Chloe giggled and took another swig of the beer.

"You're so funny." She said. Skye looked up at the sky, waving at the stars. They were on the quad, a blanket spread out so the two of them could sit without getting muddy. The stars seemed to be winking in and out at them, dancing around a small crescent moon. "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." Chloe quoted.

"They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts," Skye responded. "Shakespeare, a man who loved language more than any woman."

"Or man." Chloe said. She shrugged a sweatshirt-covered shoulder. "All those rumors about him having a man lover he wrote the plays for. 'Romeo and Juliet' was supposed to be written for the servant boy of a neighbor."

"Progressive boy, our William was." Skye turned her head lazily to look at the new face. Medium height, black hair, expensive clothes. "You didn't tell me you were having a party tonight, Chloe."

"Shut up, Stark." Chloe demanded, passing the bottle back to Skye. "I'm having a conversation with Skye. He's Tony Stark, Professor Clemens's teaching assistant."

"Ouch. That hurts." Tony said, throwing a hand dramatically over his chest. "I'll have you know that I am a great conversationalist." He paused before winking at Skye. "Among other things that I excel at." Skye laughed at him.

"Like chess?" She joked.

Tony laughed. "Sure, I'm excellent at chess." Tony sat down beside them and grabbed the beer confidently, taking a swig. "So, Skye what?"

Skye stopped laughing and became serious. "Skye, only that. Why?" Tony shrugged and took another swig.

"Curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, only satisfaction brought it back and I can assure you, you ain't getting any satisfaction from me." Skye warned. Then she nodded toward the bottle. "So you mind? We kind of have to make that one last for a while." Tony handed it back and it was passed around again.

Tony stretched out beside them, his hands behind his head. "You guys do this every night, then?" They shook their heads.

"Nah." Chloe said. We got better things to do usually. Tonight's just special. It's Skye's birthday." She bumped the younger girls shoulder. "She's turning 20 tonight. Right?"

Skye nodded, humming an agreement. In the back of her mind she felt slightly guilty. She was not 20, she was not even 18. She leaned back on the blanket and wished herself a happy 14th birthday. It had almost been enough years for her to be old enough to drive.

"Happy birthday, Princess." Tony wished, almost sarcastically. She ignored the sarcasm in the statement and thanked him. A woman's voice called Tony's name and he groaned, rolling his eyes. "Hell no."

"Tony! Tony, baby!" A blonde girl and a red head both practically raced over to them. "Tony! I totally forgot to give you my email. Well, I'm fairly certain I forgot to give you phone number too, but I'm not fully sure. Luckily, though, Amanda here told me to just give it to again. Here it is." She paused and leaned down to give a full view of her cleavage. "You know, we're free tonight if you want to catch dinner, and then maybe…" The blonde trailed off, no one missing what she was implying.

"Maybe later, Katie." Tony told her. "Maybe later." She pouted and crossed her arms, boobs getting even further pushed up.

"Twenty bucks if she falls out of her shirt." Chloe whispered. Skye nodded. Although they were bound to fall out soon anyway, Skye was always open to winning money through luck. Especially when she didn't have any money to lose and Chloe always forgot to collect on money.

Amanda wrapped an arm around the other girl to pull her away and her shirt almost came up short on one side, but it was caught in time. She moved away along with the other girl.

"Damn you." Chloe snapped, she dug a twenty out of her pocket and stuffed it in Skye's waiting fist. "That was my last twenty, you know. You are paying next time we go somewhere." Skye gave a short laugh of rejection. Like hell she was paying.

Skye tilted her head toward Tony who was laughing as he figured what they were betting on. "You just won me twenty bucks. You can stay all you like, rich boy."

Skye walked upstairs to the apartment she had rented, trying to ignore the difference between it and her dorm. Even her dorm, as small and as gross smelling as it was, was clean and didn't have hookers and drug dealers on the stairs. A man in a large green overcoat called out to her and she ignored him beyond flipping him off.

She grabbed for the new key and opened the door and leaned on it to shove it open. The smell of marijuana was strong and the room was still hazy. The curtains were ripped slightly and the something scurried behind them to under the bed.

"Home sweet home." Skye dropped her bag on a chair that looked cleaner than the bed and opened it for some clothes. She had been lucky to get her job back, even if she rathered that someone else have it.

She dressed out of the jeans and MIT t-shirt, pulling on the uniform dress and high heels. They gave her an extra seven inches and made her almost as tall as the was still privately amazed that she could walk in the heels, despite the years of practicing. She grabbed a trench coat and pulled it over her, not willing to broadcast her career.

Skye shoved the rest of her money in her hollow bible, shoving the book beneath her clothes. Honor amongst thieves was shit once free money was involved.

She locked the door behind her and headed back out, ignoring everyone else. The club was just around the block, houses getting less sketchy and more clean before turning into businesses. A line was already in front of the door, the bouncer glaring down any kid that tried to sneak by. Skye walked up to him and he let her walk by.

They exchanged nods and she brushed past him to the back, climbing over the raised doorway to the dressing room. Some of the other girls were already there putting on finishing touches to make up and hair. Almost none were legal yet, the younger the more paid. Skye wasn't the youngest at fifteen by a long shot. The club wasn't classy, but it was a safer alternative to the street corner.

"Skye!" One of the younger girls hugged her. "When did you get back?" Skye gave a noncommittal shrug. It was better for them not to know incase one of the street lords started asking about her. The other girl understood and nodded. "How was school?"

"Same old. I'm working more with computers now." Skye said. "You still in school?" They were the only ones that knew her age and had all promised secrecy. The young girl- Sheila?- nodded.

"Yep. Not sure for how long, though. Momma needs me now that Kelia had her baby." She said. "He's a cute baby, though. He doesn't cry much neither so we get sleep. I remember with Celia's first, Sandy, all she did was cry and cry. We wasn't surprised when she turned out sick. Got better though, thank God."

"Don't you mention His name here." Steve, the stage manager, was at the door. He flipped through papers on a clipboard and waved his hand to collect the names he called out. "Alrighty, Sheila, Skye, and Lana. Ya'll are all up, usual posts. Remember, girls, they don't come here to see classy girls on stage."

"They don't see them off the stage much, either." Skye muttered and Sheila laughed.

Steve gave her a warning look but was distracted by the girls exiting. "For the love of-, Brittney could you not stop there? There is a line of people behind you." He pushed through the small room and started ranting at a girl who entered. Skye didn't recognize her and realized she must be new. She even looked new- shame still on her face.

Skye followed the others onto the small pathway leading to the circular stages, then broke off. Each stage was big enough for one person to stand and dance, with a pole running up the center. Lights flashed through the whole club, bodies of the crowd moving with the pulsing beat.

Skye briefly glanced through the club before cutting off everyone else and focusing on herself. She had done exercising pole dancing with some of the ladies in the carnival and if she focused on those memories, the dancing wasn't as bad. She just had to follow another beat and move her hips more.

She was just getting into it when another body moved to her stage and pulled her back to the present. Skye gaped at Tony as he smirked down at her, pulling her away. A couple of lonely men booed at the action, but he didn't seem to care.

"Tony? Tony, what the hell?" Skye yelled, still not heard over the music. Sheila gave her a weird look from where she was dancing and Skye shrugged helplessly. Tony pulled her all the way to the dressing room before throwing the coat she brought at her.

"Get dressed. You're going home." He commanded. She rocked back on her heels and crossed her arms.

"Oh, really? I have to pay for that home and this is my job. You don't like it, don't visit. It's simple." Skye said. She was aware of two of the girls in the room staring shamelessly. "I have to work, Tony. I'll see you at school next semester." She moved to go back on stage but he grabbed her arm.

"Skye." He said. She looked at him and cursed as soon as she did. He had the same expression that Clint used to when he was trying to stop Skye from doing something stupid, like riding the elephants at two in the morning. She wilted and turned her back to the stage.

"Okay." She said. Skye turned to look at Steve who had come out of his office. "Apparently I quit." She announced then walked out. Might as well make an exit, even if she had only been back for a night.

She let Tony lead her away, an arm around her waist. He took her out of the club and past the line of people waiting and chatting. A black car was waiting on the street and a man held the door open to both of them then closed it once they were inside.

"Where's your house?" Tony asked. Skye gave directions and the car drove away. It was only once they were in front of the building that he spoke again. She had made a move to get out and he just grabbed her wrist. "Wait." She did so, feeling like a puppy. He called and she followed. Then again, she had nothing to lose at this point. Tony held all the cards.

The driver got out of the car and held the door open again. "Miss Skye." He requested. She got out and Tony followed until the three of them were standing by the car. "If you want to go to your apartment, we will follow."

"What?" Skye interrupted. "No, you can't come up. No, sorry, but you have to go." Tony repeated her name and gave her another one of Clint's looks. She cursed him in her head but lead up the stairs to her apartment. One of the hookers moved to walk toward them but the driver must have done something because she backed up quickly. "It's kind of a mess, I didn't clean." She said as she opened the door.

They didn't comment.

"Skye, grab your stuff. You're leaving." It wasn't phrased like a question and Skye meant to comment but the animal scurried again and she just grabbed her only bag. They walked back out and to the car, not speaking again.

Once back inside the car Tony spoke. "Skye, you're 15." She shot her head up and leaned back. "Relax. I won't tell, but I'm not letting you strip for a living when your friends with the heir to one of the wealthiest companies in the world- if not the richest by this point. You're coming to live with me. If you don't like that then you can live at one of my houses." He waved off his wealth in a way that made Skye jealous.

"I don't take charity, Tony." She said. He rolled his eyes.

"Princess, it's not charity. You have one of the greatest minds and you're not even old enough to drive. Think of what you will be able to do in twenty years; Hell, think of what you could do in two! Plus, think of it as me doing my civic duty as an American. Your underage, in need of a guardian. Congratulations, you got me. Lucky you." Tony said. Skye rolled her eyes back. She knew it was useless to argue. Chloe was stubborn but Tony out passed even her, Skye had learned to roll with the punches with the two of them.

"Yea." She intoned. She looked out the window of the car, leaning her head against the cold glass. It felt like a dream. Skye blinked lazily at Tony before smiling slightly. She whispered to the window. "Thank you."

"Tony, I mean it! You are going to be late!" Skye looked up from her tablet as Pepper waved a folder at the billionaire. Pepper was looking her usual put-together-but-thoroughly-harassed self. "Skye, please tell him!"

Skye closed her windows and leaned against the pillows. She had been living in the Stark Tower for almost two years, long enough for her to get the flow of things. "Tony, listen to Pepper." Tony shot her a mock-betrayed look and she shrugged. "I know who's really in charge."

"One day." He threatened. Everyone knew he was bluffing. He could never get rid of Pepper and would never get rid of Skye. Even Chloe knew that and she didn't even know the full story of why Skye was living in the Stark Tower to start with.

Sometimes Skye felt she didn't know the whole story. It still seemed like she would wake up one day to see the dingy apartment walls instead of a designed room and floor length windows.

Skye looked back at her tablet and waved distractedly over the couch. "Have fun at your Expo. Make the others jealous of your newest toys." Tony nodded and he and Pepper moved to the elevator still fighting affectionately. "J-baby, I may take a nap if you could wake me up in a hour?"

"Yes, Miss." JARVIS replied. Skye felt the small surge of pride she always did at the AI. She had helped Tony with a small part of creating him, adjusting math and doing what directed to in the lab. It was her baby despite Tony's claims that JARVIS was all his.

Skye lay the tablet on the table beside her and leaned back on the couch. She had been working on her latest project for three days straight, having Pepper bring her coffee when she brought Tony his. She was honestly surprised that Pepper did it. None of her inventions went to Stark Industries (she was going through what Tony and Obi called her "hippie phase" and protesting things having to do with the war.

"Miss. It has been one hour and thirty minutes." JARVIS's voice jolted her and she woke up with a start. "Miss? You are in Malibu, the weather is 85 degrees and sunny. There is a 35% chance of rain," He started but Skye interrupted him.

"Not a nightmare, J. Just startled me, that's all." Skye interrupted.

"Of course, Miss. Just making sure. You were not responding." He clarified. She hummed an agreement before leaning to pick back up her tablet. Her work was on the screen still and she went back to typing in data and figuring measurements needed. She had decided on a hologram notepad, trying to save the trees and because she thought it would be cooler than just paper.

She was not sure how long she had been working before JARVIS started speaking again. "Miss. Mr. Stane is trying to gain access to this floor via elevator. Are you granting him access?" Skye waved an negative distractedly. She was so close to a breakthrough. Obi would understand, he always did. She was almost back in the zone before the AI spoke again. "Miss. Mr. Stane is very insistent that he speak with you."

Skye sighed and put her tablet aside before responding. "Alright. Let him in. Come on, J-baby, let's grow a backbone next time, okay?"

"I am incapable of growing anything." Skye rolled her eyes. He was apparently capable of growing a sense of sarcasm. She had not programmed him to get sassy.

The ding of the elevator doors had her look over and smile at the man walking in. Her eyes flickered up to his bald head involuntarily before back to his face. It had always amazed her that he had absolutely no hair on the top of his head, just pictures showing he did infact have hair once besides the beard. He looked haunted and he stumbled in to sit at her feet, holding her outstretched hand.

"Skye, sweetheart. I have some bad news." He paused and seemed to collect himself. "It's about Tony." He closed his eyes and looked away. Skye sat up, worried. She had seen Obi go toe to toe with senators and presidents. There was nothing that ruffled him.

"Obi, Obi, what's wrong? You're scaring me." She said.

He covered his face with his other hand and took several deep breaths. "Skye, there was an accident. The van Tony was in… it was attacked. He's-." He shook his head. Skye's chest felt suddenly tight and she shook her head.

"What? No, no Tony's fine. I saw him minutes ago." Skye said.

"Three days and two hours, Miss." JARVIS corrected. Skye blinked and checked her phone. Huh, what do you know?

"But that still doesn't mean that Tony was attacked. He's fine." Skye denied. Obi just gave her a sad look. "No! He can't be missing, Obi! Tony's fine! He's-," She lost her composure and started sobbing. The older man pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, rocking her on his lap and muttering reassurances. She buried her face in his sweater and let the tears fall.

She couldn't lose another person. She wouldn't.

"Run that by me again, Skye?" Rodney asked. Skye dropped her forehead to the counter before rising to put her chin on the surface instead.

"J and I have been doing some research and have narrowed it down to a section of Afghanistan. We have done enough searching that we are almost 86% sure of where Tony is, Rodney." Skye repeated. She sat up and leaned back in the stool of the kitchen. "All you have to do is look at the map and send some troops."

She could hear Rodney sigh. "Look, Skye. I realize that you two were close, but we can not do anything else. It's been three months, too long for us to send another search. Too much money is being spent. I have been trying but they're telling me no." She bit the inside of her cheek in anger. "Look, Skye, I got to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay." She closed her eyes to block out the click of the phone. She stood up and walked over to the bar cart. She opened a vial of scotch and poured it in a glass. Skye had discovered the miracles of alcohol while Tony was gone and not even Pepper's disappointing looks and comments on her age- even the age being wrong by years- could stop her from enjoying those miracles.

Slye sipped at her glass and and cursed the military. After all the things Tony had invented for them, nothing was being done to help him. She knew he was alive despite what Obi, the press, and government claimed.

"J-baby." Skye spoke up. "Can you pull up the hologram program on my laptop? I need to do some work. Get something productive done."

"Miss. Might you want to sleep before you go back to work? You have been up for almost 120 hours only drinking scotch." JARVIS advised. Skye gave him a bitter smile and took another swig of her drink.

"Only 120 hours?" Skye said. "Barely anytime at all. Do me a favor and only tell me when it has been six days." She reached for her computer and started working through the numbers again. The screen went black suddenly and she held her hands up in surrender. "JARVIS, what did you just do?"

There was a second before her responded. "When Sir was here, Miss Potts had a rule that any work day lasting over 121 hours would have the computers shut off. That program still lasts." Skye moved to protest but he interrupted. "I am sticking with this, Miss."

"Bastard." She muttered.

"I heard that." JARVIS said. Skye stuck out her tongue and swallowed the last of her glass. She got up to refill it but he spoke again. "I think you will find the bar off limits. Another thing necessary." Skye glanced to see the glass case over the cart, bullet proof and unyielding as it was designed.

She threw the glass at the wall and walked over to fall into the couch. A few hours sleep and then she would be ready for anything.

"SKYE! SKYE!" Skye jerked awake to see Pepper shaking her shoulders and yelling at her. "Skye!" She sat up and waved her back slightly but she didn't move. She was beaming so loud and laughing slightly. "They found him! They found Tony!" Skye was instantly awake and grabbed the other woman's shoulders.

"What?" She asked.

"Tony! Somehow Rodney got where they should search and got a plane and Tony was just there in the sand. He'll be home in about an hour at the most. We were a little late in getting the information." Pepper said. Skye felt herself start to cry and she hugged Pepper tightly.

"I want to be in the car." Skye said. She untangled herself and stood up. "Let me change and I'll go with you." Pepper noded and Skye ran to her room to throw on a pair of jeans under her t-shirt. She walked back out barefoot and to the elevator. "Come on, Pepper, Tony's coming home."

They arrived at the base where the plane was to land and Pepper got out of the car. She spoke quietly to a soldier on guard standing. After a minute, she walked back to the car.

"Chris says that the base is secure for the moment. No one should be here for a while. Obi's on speed dial for once the plane arrives." Pepper said. "You can get out of the car if you want." Skye nodded and walked out of the car and leaned against it. "Tony will be here soon." Skye nodded and pulled out her phone. "What are you doing?"

"J-baby should be here." Skye said. "I programmed him on my phone the other day. Why, though, I have no idea. He is such a nanny and I'm not actually sure why I want him to be with me all the time."

"Thank you, Miss." JARVIS's voice spoke through her phone.

"Your welcome." Skye put the phone on the top of the car and put him on speaker. "Sir arriving." The plane was indeed landing and driving around the track to slow down. When the plane finally stopped and the door opened, Tony walked out with both hands in peace signs.

"Tony!" Skye ran to the steps and jumped at him. He caught her and spun her slightly.

"Skye!" He yelled. "How are you doing, darling?"

"Pretty good! I can't believe you're back!" She yelled back.

"Right though!"

"Children!" Pepper yelled over. "Get in the car, we need to get back to the tower so that we can talk. Come on." She pushed them to the car and inside before facing them. "Get in the car, loser. We're going shopping." Skye laughed and Pepper gave a proud head jerk nod. "I did like that movie."

"Movie Wednesday wasn't the same." Skye told Tony. She noticed a circle of blue in the middle of his chest and she leaned forward. "Ton, what's that?"

He put a hand over the circle but looked confused. "What's what?" She gave him an unimpressed look. "We'll talk later, Skye. Now, Pepper I need two things. Well, three we need to drop Skye off at home first." He started speaking and the car moved. Skye's phone dinged and she glanced at it to see the arc reactor plans. She looked up and Tony's eyes nodded for him. Skye paused, always happy to read classified information but not sure why it was important. Then it clicked.

An arc reactor in his chest. Numbers flashed in front of her eyes and she started forming the equations of the process. Whoa. Skye looked back at her phone and started memorizing any and all of the data. She had just gotten him back she wasn't going to lose him.

Skye leaned against the office door. Pepper was inside, searching for data on something for Tony. He wouldn't tell her, only give her a sad look like he had to tell her her puppy had just bitten someone and had to be put down.

She jerked slightly as a tap on the door alerted her to the end of the search. She stepped aside and Pepper stepped out and nodded once. Both women walked hurriedly to the elevator and to Skye's floor before Pepper pulled out her cell phone.

"Mr. Stark, it's Pepper. You were right. Something that Mr. Stane is doing is not on the books. Money just appears." Pepper reported. Skye scoffed. She would love for money to just appear. Christmas early.

The she realized what Pepper had said. Obi. Obi was doing this.

Skye slowly shook her head in denial. Obi wouldn't do that. He had accepted her with no questions, was moving with Tony's plan on no weapons despite an early disagreement. Obi was a good guy. He had been there when Tony disappeared. He had taken care of everything and let her stay in the tower to finish her holograms. All she had had to do was finish some of the rough sketches started by Tony on some weapons- oh.

Skye mentally slapped herself. Ah.

Pepper hung up and walked over to pour herself a glass from the bar. "You want one?" She offered. Skye, still lost in her mind, shook her head and spoke without thinking.

"Nah. I'm only 16." She wondered if she could call in some friends to take care of the problem. That lady had offered to help with anything the year before. Skye almost missed the sound of shattering glass, but looked up in time to see Pepper staring at her in shock.

"What?" Pepper whispered. "What did you just say?" Skye looked at her in confusion before turning white too.

"Nothing. I was just kidding. Ha-ha. You know me." She tried. Pepper looked unimpressed and Skye was faintly admiringly of her quick expression change. Pepper started forward slowly and Skye matched her pace backing up. "Pepper. Peps, let's be reasonable. I think we need to get our priorities in order here for a minute." This seemed to snap Pepper to reality and she nodded, pulling out her phone again.

"We are going to have a talk, a long one that you will probably say has too much emotion. It will be so damn fun that by the end you won't dare to keep important things like this secret." Pepper threatened. Skye nodded, knowing better than to protest. "Good, now go scram. I need to call help and Tony would kill me if anyone knew you knew him. Probably best if you're so far underage." Skye moved to the elevator and pressed up to Tony's floor as Pepper dialed the number.

Tony's floor was too quiet and Skye felt all the hair on her arms and neck rise. "J-baby? J, where is Tony?" There was no answer and Skye paused before running in and to the piano in the corner. Everything was visibly from there.

She froze before she arrived. Tony was lying on the floor, a hole where the blue light used to be, SHOULD BE. Skye fell to her knees and slid over to him, putting his head in her lap. "Tony? What do you need? Are you alight?" It was a stupid question to ask if he was alright, but somehow that question came out with the rest. Tony didn't answer but his eyes flickered to the desk where a container sat with the first, crude mini-arc reactor. She jumped up, wincing as his head hit the floor with a thud, and ran to grab the jar.

It was sealed at the top with a thumbprint and she recognized the standard Stark casing. It would only allow the owners in, but if Pepper had been telling the truth when she said she had made the present for Tony (she had been making sure Tony wouldn't take it offensively. Somehow it was assumed Skye knew everything that happened in Afghanistan and would know what triggered his PTSD as well as normal emotions. Skye had decided to take it as a compliment since it was almost scarily true), then the thumb taken would be Pepper's, Tony's, and hers. She pressed her thumb into the hidden slot and the whole container opened for her.

Skye lifted the reactor and rolled through the blueprints in her head. She was 89% certain she could put it back, but the 11% was what was important to her. She stopped and turned to focus on the part of her that believed in herself. She took a breath and moved the reactor to press in gently. As she was to place it in, Tony's hand shot up and grabbed her hand, navigating her hands.

"Thank God." Skye gasped, letting him take it over. Once it was inside and Tony was taking gasping breaths to recover, she collapsed, hugging him tightly. "T-Tony!" She realized she was sobbing but couldn't stop. Skye struggled to sit up push slightly away from Tony. "Obi hurt you didn't he?" Tony nodded slightly, still weak. He struggled to sit, then stand up and pushed a tablet toward her.

"JARVIS." He whispered. She nodded and quickly coded herself into JARVIS's mainframe and brought him back online. Obi had clearly not understood what he was doing- stupid since he worked with the program on the daily and was there when he was built and through all his early changes and developments- and had just rewritten the codes to have a few less 1 and 0 and create a back door.

"He's up and running. You want to-?" She started to speak but was interrupted by the fact that there was no one she was speaking to. "JARVIS?"

"Sir is currently in the suit." He answered. Skye nodded, annoyed.

"Of course he is. Where the hell else would he be after almost dying?" Skye snapped. She shook her head and waved the fact away. "Whatever. There will be time to tell him he was stupid later. Remind me to tell him, J." JARVIS confirmed he would.

Skye walked into the house to see Tony and Rodney talking. "Hello darlings!" She called. She threw her bag on the table and stepped out of her sandals. "I bought the best birthday present for Pepper, don't worry Tony we can totally say it was from both of us." Skye glanced over and paused. "You are not, Rodney."

"You're a genius too." The man said dryly. He had an eye patch covering one eye and a scar running around it. He was completely decked in leather to the point that Skye would have turned around and left if not for the trench coat covering him some.

"Nah, she just cleans my pools." Tony interjected smoothly. Then he paused and waved a finger at the older man. "You need something from me." He stated. Skye went to creep out but Tony held up a hand for her to wait. "I'll work with your little boy band, I'll even house the other when they meet, but I want something in return. Starting now and involving anything in the past, Skye doesn't exist, and she never did. If at anytime she does, I stop everything. SHIELD will fall, everyone will know your name and what you do. Your planes won't fly, your internet won't connect, every security protocol to keep you safe will turn against you." Tony was the most serious she had ever seen him, including when she was deciding her doctoral and had tried to go to CalTech instead of MIT. He had full on intimidation mode in and she almost feared him. "You keep her a safe secret, or I will destroy you."

The other man considered the offer before nodding slowly. "Reasonable. She stays hidden though, she can't start doing anything crazy to test it." Tony glanced toward her and she nodded. She could handle that.

"Okay." She said. The two men shook on it before she spoke again. "Who are you?"

"Director Nick Fury." He introduced. "In charge of SHIELD." Skye tilted her head in contusion before the abbreviation was clarified as she remembered the business card Pepper had gotten at the press conference after Tony had gotten back.

"Okay." She repeated. He gave her a card before he left, no name written on it, only numbers.

She entered it in her phone under Uncle Nick.

* * *

**Tell me what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Next chapter's up! Get excited! **

* * *

Skye walked past the overflowing stalls, gripping her bag tighter as the eyes of the beggars closed in on it.

For some reason the Vatican City was actually the place where she got robbed the most, though after the first time she wasn't robbed by the same person again. Skye knew how to defend her purse. A woman suddenly darted out in front of her, dressed in multicolored rags and speaking halting Italian. She gestured toward Skye's bag, repeating "You help. You help."

Skye glanced at her purse and shook her head. The bag had different medical symbols on it, but it had been bought at a thrift store (making Tony wince and offer her thousand dollars to buy something else). "I am not a doctor." Skye replied in Italian. She attempted English repeating the phrase, but her expression didn't change. She considered trying another language, but she didn't have a chance.

The woman ignored her and just tugged on her arm. "Please. You help her." She rambled. Skye gave up and let herself be dragged away. As soon as she was out of the sight of everyone the woman offered her bag. "Cover your head. Not safe." Skye waved her hand and shook her head.

"No bag. I go freely, but I'll leave if the bag is brought in." She said. The lady agreed and put the bag down.

"No bag." She nodded. Skye didn't see the needle until it was being pulled away. Right before the last of her senses were ripped way, Skye wished she had just taken the damn bag.

A pounding headache and feeling of lead in her bones greeted Skye as she woke up. She lay still for several moments, not daring to move and further frustrate her body. It felt like the time she had just joined the carnival and Muscle Mike had snuck in some heavy alcohol, Skye had not moved for days after.

"You awake?" A man's voice. Skye opened her eyes and glanced over to see the man sitting on a chair. She took a second to stare at him, just five seconds. He was dressed all in black- a black vest, black pants, black boots, black toolbelt. Even his hair was black. The silver metal arm contrasted vastly, making her eyes drawn to it. "You awake?" He repeated, seeming so lost that Skye almost forgave him for kidnapping her.

"Yeah." Skye said, she struggled into a sitting position and he reached out his hands to help. He seemed to honestly want to help and not know how.

He was adorable.

"You are a doctor?" He asked. "You can help her?" Skye hesitantly shook her head in denial.

"No, sorry." She admitted. "I'm," she paused and sighed, frustrated. "Sorry, do you speak anything beside Italian? English, German, even Swahili though disclaimer, I only know rough vocabulary on Swahili. Turns out most of the vocab I was taught on that language was curses." She shrugged then regretted the babble as the Metal looked even more confused.

She let her words sink in before pushing forward. He ended up nodding and switching to English. "You can not heal her?"

Skye glanced around the white room, but only saw a door, table, and thick glass window beside the bed. "Who is this 'she'?" Skye asked. "If I saw her and her injury, I might be able to help. I helped a little when I was younger with injuries, and I can help with small things." Skye decided to downplay her skills just in case it was over her head.

She had stopped stitching people back together years ago. Despite the occasional help given to Tony, there was no need for her medical skills. Not even Tony had needed anything worse than sewing the tip of a finger back on one time after he cut it off with drunk science.

Not his smartest move. She had almost refused to fix it.

"Come then." Silver requested. It was more like a command, but requests always seemed nicer. He walked to the door and opened it, gesturing for Skye to follow. Skye jumped off the bed- wincing at the drop and how it jarred her leg. It seemed like she had hurt her leg somehow, bad enough that she had to walk with a limp.

She ignored the pain and followed Silver out of the room. The hallway reminded her of a mental hospital. White walls and thick windows with metal bars screamed "YOU'LL NEVER GET OUT ALIVE!" Skye could almost hear the evil laugh. She shivered.

They stopped walking to see a steel door with a window slide-panel. Silver grabbed a key from his belt and unlocked the door. "In here." Skye walked in and saw there was no window, just a bed in there. A woman with bright red hair was laid out on the bed. Blood was pooling over layers of bandages still and the woman had taken on a sickly pale color.

Skye fell forward and stumbled into the room, her mind going instinctively going back to the information Milly had passed on while working the circuit. "Alright, I'm going to need a sanitised needle and thread, as well as a couple gauze pads. You did great putting pressure on it, but we need to fix it. Also, grab some alcohol, like the heavy duty stuff." She heard the door close and lock behind her and her head shot up. Her hands pressed into the woman's side as she stared at the door.

What. A. Bastard.

Skye turned back to the woman. One hand stayed on the wound and the other patted the rest of her to find another one. There were small cuts on her arms and legs, a couple bullet scars, long scars on her back, and a chip missing from her ear. "Damn girl." She muttered. "What the hell happened to you?" The main problem was the one on her stomach.

The door opened and Skye whipped around to check on who got in and almost sighed in relief. Silver was standing there with a cart of the supplies she wanted. There was a bottle of Scotch and a bottle of Vodka on the top. "Oh, thank God." She grabbed the Scotch poured it on the wound, pushing the bandages aside. Once it was clean, Skye set it aside to take a long gulp of the Vodka. The sharp burn woke her up and her head settled.

"Thanks. You mind grabbing the needle and threading it?" The thread was vivid black and Skye could only imagine the reaction of the woman once she woke up. Silver handed her a needle, slightly bent. "Thanks."

Skye focused on sewing up the wound, stopping twice more to pour alcohol and take sips. "You know, the woman who taught me this would always sing as she worked. Said it calmed the reapers that would take people before she could heal them. Only time she was superstitious was around death. Said it was the one thing that would come in the end, but she didn't want to see the bright light too soon." Skye spoke. She smiled at the memories. "It was usually nursery rhymes or lullabies. I knew it was serious when she sang songs like Carry on my Wayward Son or Eye of the Tiger. Love those songs though. My favorite was when she would sing songs I could hum to. I think she did it on purpose sometimes, just to relax me." Skye glanced up to see Silver staring fascinatingly at her. She smiled and thought of a song to sing. "Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home." She sang. She sang several verses, repeating some when she got too close to the end. When she finished the stitches, Skye lay gauze on it and wrapped it with the white rags Silver had brought.

"Will she live?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yep." Skye hesitated before asking, "How did she get shot?" Silver flinched slightly and stared heatedly at her. She held up her hands in surrender. "Hey, you don't have to tell me. Just wondering, but I remember what Pepper used to tell me about curiosity. That cat killed will not be me. Nope, no sir. Forget I asked."

Silver stopped glaring and instead as looking puzzled. For an intimidating guy, he kind of reminded Skye of a lost puppy. Everything he felt went straight to his face. "You talk to a spice?"

It took a minute for her to register what he said and then she laughed. Of course that would make perfect sense to him. "Oh, no, honey. I talked to a woman named Pepper." She resisted the urge to hug him and hide him from the world. From the faint smears on his metal arm (hinting that he probably was the one behind the gun) it was probably best that she refrained herself.

Something about assassins didn't seem cuddly.

Skye stood up from her crouch and stretched, feeling the muscles in her back move and pop loudly. "So, Shiny. You going to kick me out or should I cook something to eat?" Skye asked. In the back of her mind, a voice sounding suspiciously like Pepper scolded her and reminded her that she was at the mercy of the one she called "Shiny", but Skye quickly squashed that voice.

No use being negative.

Besides, Skye was a master at denial. She was completely successful in denying that she was anywhere but the Stark mansion in Italy at the moment. Yep. Totally there.

"You can eat." Silver said. He walked out the door, holding it open for Skye to follow out. She did and he quickly locked the door behind her. "She will not attack." He muttered. Skye felt her curiosity peaked again, but decided not to answer.

Silver lead her to a kitchen that looked ages old. The tile floor was cracked, tiles overlapping as if too lazy to correct themselves. The counter tops were made of multiple stones, each cracked in a unique way. Skye's eyes went to a fridge and oven that stood out in contrast as it looked a week old at the most. She walked to the fridge and opened it.

Mostly just vegetables were stored, but there was grilled chicken with a sticky note with the words 'MINE- DON'T TOUCH, DAD' in sloppy Italian. Skye felt a pang of worry for the writer of the note before shrugging it off. The family was probably just on a vacation somewhere… hopefully.

She opened the container and gave it a sniff. Smelled fine. She put it on the counter and selected the tomatoes. On the counter there was a vial of Olive Oil and pots with spices growing. Skye thought back to Chloe had gone through her plant phase in college. There had been all sorts of plants around the dorm for a semester before it all began dying and they had been written up as the floor monitor had thought they were selling pot.

"That one is thyme, and that one is rosemary, and that one is parsley, and that one is sage, and," Skye muttered pointing to each herb growing. She grabbed a few and set them aside with the tomato. Silver offered her the choice of five different pots and she choose two. "See if you can find noodles, would you?" Skye started mixing the ingredients and heating it up. "My friend, Tony, taught me how to cook Italian you know. He can't cook an egg worth crap, but he could whip up an Italian dish like that was his mission in life." She mused.

"You have big family?" Silver asked, he came back with a packet of pasta and set it on the table. She turned up the heat on the stovetop and set the pot of water on it.

Skye shrugged. "Big enough. Orphan, though, so all of my family gets to be chosen. Much better than the whole biological family thing apparently. What about you? You got a family hidden somewhere you go home to?"

Silver looked confused and he slowly shook his head. "I don't think so."

She didn't ask what he meant, instead nodding slowly. "Okay. Hey, you know how long we're going to be here? I have to check up on Tony soon. He just got back from Afghanistan like a month ago and he sent me away while he changes some stuff, but I kind of need to get back to him. Leave him alone too long and he starts thinking crazy and being stupid."

"Not too long." Silver said after a pause. "The girl just needs to live."

Skye nodded. She didn't mention that a hospital would be better than a girl who had gone to college for computers. Granted though she had finally finished her first doctorate on theoretical AI's impacts on society- not mentioning the creation of JARVIS or Second Artificial Intelligence Same As First (SAISAF) as the governments would want to dissect them- so she could at least claim to be a doctor.

Thinking of SAISAF made her consider sending a signal to JARVIS who would tell either Uncle Nick or Tony her location. She ran her fingers over the pendent where the younger AI was on her necklace but decided against it. The wounded girl might not get help without her.

Skye had been at the house for at least a week before she woke up alone.

On all of the past days Silver had been sleeping in a chair in her room, guarding the door to make sure she didn't leave. They would go to the girl's room and check her bandages. She had yet to wake up and Skye would have assumed that the Silver was drugging the girl if there were no needle marks on her other than where the stitches were.

Skye had grown fond of Silver in the time, and she was surprised to be developing a bigger normal protective streak around him. The more time passed the more he seemed to be remembering his life. A man named Steve was mentioned in most of the stories of his past, Steve convincing him to join the army. There seemed to be a gap in his memory, but it was nice what he remembered.

She crawled out of bed and walked to the door. Testing it, she was surprised that the door actually opened. Skye walked barefoot down the hallway to the girl's usually locked room and tested that door too. It opened and she cautiously peaked her head around the door.

The redhead was on the bed, still sleeping. Skye decided to switch out the bandages and sat down on the chair by the bed. She reached down for the supplies by the bed and froze as a hand grabbed her throat.

She held her hands up in surrender as the air was blocked from entering her lungs. "No… weapon." She gasped in Italian.

The hands retreated slightly but the needle for stitches was pressed against her throat. "Where am I?" The other girl asked. Her voice was raspy from disuse and Skye was secretly impressed she could talk at all.

Skye shook her head as much as she could. "I don't know." She said. The hands tightened a little more. "Silver knows, that's the only other person though. Sorry."

"Who are you?"

"Skye."

"Where is this person? Silver?"

Skye felt a pang as she answered. "Gone. He left sometime last night or this morning. Look, are you okay? I can change your bandages if you need. It's about time to. Afterward we can part ways if you want."

The redhead looked skeptical but released her. Skye let her keep the needle as she unwrapped the fabric around the other girl's waist and wrapped clean fabric instead. "Did Silver have a metal arm?"

Skye hummed an agreement. "Yep. Why? You know him?" The girl gave her a weird look but nodded.

"We have met. He was the one who shot me." She seemed to measure Skye's lack of reaction. "You knew that?"

Skye paused in what she was doing and looked at the other. "Most people don't have blood stains and a girl with a bullet in her at the same time through a coincidence. It just doesn't happen that often. So yeah, I was able to figure out that much fairly quickly. He seemed to an okay guy beside that though."

"He kills for fun."

Skye wrapped the girl in silence before standing up to leave. There should still be soup from the other day. She paused in the doorway as she thought of the carnival. "No one kills for fun. They kill to get to a new destination, a new goal, a new paycheck, but never because they think it is fun."

She walked to the kitchen and grabbed a glass and poured scotch in it. Skye grabbed her necklace and turned the top slightly. SAISAF connected to her location quickly and spoke. "Hello Miss. How are you?"

The AI had already scanned her for any bodily damage- done so before even pinpointing the location- so Skye shrugged. "I'm good. You mind telling J I'm fine?"

There was a pause and a familiar British voice transmitted instead. "Good evening, Skye. Sir has had me inform you that since you have not checked in two weeks a video conference is demanded at your earliest chance."

Skye smirked. "I bet he said it exactly like that."

"Of course." JARVIS was definitely not the same AI that she spoke to for hours at a time right after he was created to get him to learn English. He had gained enough sass that he was officially a teenager. SAISAF would be getting there soon.

"I'll call him when I can. It might take a while. I'm not actually sure where I have been for the past few days." Skye confessed. There was a pause.

"Your location has been sent to the Director. I need to cut this call off to fully communicate with him but I have communicated with SAISAF and she has agreed to stay online during this." Skye protested, curious of who the "Director" was, but the connection moved out with an almost silent click. She sighed and pour another glass to take to the other girl. Might as well warn her that one of Tony's old business' partners would show up soon.

She walked up to the room, bumping it open with her hip. Skye froze in the doorway.

The other girl was hobbling to the window, a familiar seeming man in the window. He was leaning toward the girl, a hand out to help. They were moving fast- too fast to be civilians. Skye was about to back up and pretend not to have noticed anything, but the door squeaked gently and the others turned to her.

Skye faintly registered the two glasses dropping but she just stared at the man- at Clint. "Fuck." She muttered. He said her name and that snapped her out of her daze. "What the actual hell, Clint? Where have you been for the past years?" She crossed her arms to wait for an answer, but he was just staring at her.

"Are you an agent?" The other girl asked her. Skye shook her head negatively.

"Uh-uh. Are you two?" She responded. Instantly both looked at her warily. "Nevermind, then." She paused. "Uh, you know the director?" Both tensed slightly and Clint's eyes widened just enough for her, who had grown up next to his expressions, to tell he was surprised.

"What-?" He started by SAISAF chose that moment to speak.

"Miss, Mr. Sir is wanting to know if you are alright." She said. Skye pinched the top of her nose but answered her AI.

She spoke slowly. "Tell him that I am fine and if he keeps overreacting I will pour all of his Scotch down the drain and put his playroom onto lockdown for a month. Also, tell J to call off the dogs as well as the Director." She kept her eyes on the two at the window as she spoke. There was no visible change in them, but the air seemed less heavy.

There was no response from the artificial intelligence but Skye was not expecting one. She was still teaching polite conversation to the necklace. She looked at both of the others, still standing hesitantly in the window as if waiting for some que. "I'm going to go downstairs. There's vodka, coffee, and cheap scotch. Five and five." She turned and walked back to the kitchen, hoping that they would follow.

Five and five was a game that had been introduced in the carnival. It was simple, and usually started by the muscle-men or the bearded lady. It was started by each player taking five shots of whatever alcohol they chose. Then they would answer one question posed by each member of the group. Since there were only three of them it would be more correct to five and two, but Skye figured there would multiple questions that wanted answering.

She layed out three shot glasses and put both bottles beside them. She fingered the necklace, tempted to speak and check on an eventual ride home, but the feeling of eyes on her stopped her. "Cheater, cheater. I taught you how to get through air vents, Circus-boy. Get your ass out here or leave." Clint dropped out of the ceiling and Skye pushed a glass toward him even as she spoke English again. "You can come out from behind the door, Strawberry. I was around you for the past bit. Even at the risk of sounding like a stalker, I know how you smell and can smell you from here."

Clint snorted. "You sounded like a stalker," he confirmed. Skye shrugged and pushed the last glass toward the girl cautiously entering the room. It was silent as each picked their own drink to pour and toss back five times. Once the fifth glass was done Clint let out a breath and looked at Skye. "What is the name of the Mr. Sir?"

Skye gave him a measured look. "Tony Stark." He looked like he was about to laugh but saw her expression and looked at her shocked.

"Why are you not known?" The woman asks.

Skye turned toward her. "I don't exist. According to records, I never have, hopefully never will. Who are you?"

"Mary Clark." Clint muttered to her in Russian and she frowned but corrected herself. "Natasha."

Skye waited to see if a last name would be added as well, but none came. She nodded in acceptance. "Clint, who do you work for?"

"The Director. Tasha, did you steal my oreos?" Natasha rolled her eyes but nodded.

"How do you know Clint?" There was a pause in which five more glasses were poured by each. Each person took the shots before Skye answered.

"Through the circus." She was about to expand but her SAISAF intruppeted.

"Miss. Mr. Stane wishes to inform you that you are requested to join him and Mr. Sir tommorrow. It is requested that you arrive two hours early for make-up." She reported. Skye hummed an agreement. She would need to check on SAISAF's coding if she was intruppting Skye's conversations.

The problem with AIs was that there was not a pre-coded program. Everything created was new and unchecked.

"Sorry. Reminders." Was all Skye said aloud.

"What is that?" Clint asked. Skye paused, looking between him and Natasha for a few minutes.

It was not that she didn't trust them specifically, it was not personal. It was just that her AIs were special, her children that no one else got to know about. Both JARVIS and SAISAF were dangerous. They got information from all over the world, both websites and national security agencies, in a matter of seconds and processed it just as fast.

Skye didn't know Natasha. She hadn't seen Clint since she was twelve, over three years ago. He could have changed since she knew him. Plus, both worked for the Director, someone both AIs would not tell her about because of Tony's insistence and Tony only would insist if it hurt someone.

She bit her lip before taking a deep breath and speaking. "Computer-generated program."

Clint tilted his head. "Like a blue-tooth?" Skye snorted.

"Jesus. How old are you? A blue-tooth? This is not a blue-tooth. It's more of a speaking Google-mixed with voice-mail than blue-tooth." She laughed. "So, what have you been doing?"

"Assassin."

Skye nodded. She had kind of expected that to be honest. She glanced at Natasha and the other girl understood the question.

"Assassin."

"Okay." Skye took a free shot and nodded. She was drinking with assassins, had been doing so since she was taken to this house. At least she could honestly say that the majors at MIT that said majoring in computers would be boring would be wrong.

"What about you? Three things you've been doing." Clint said.

Skye shrugged. "The usual. High school, college, doctorate."

"You're a doctor?" Natasha asked, surprise coating her words. Skye nodded.

"Yep. Doctor in computer science, computer engineering, artificial intelligence, just got one in biomedical engineering, and attempting to become a medical doctor, but its though online school." Skye recited proudly. She had progressed a lot once Tony had taken her off the poll. Using a couple aliases she was able to get a few doctorates at once.

Clint grinned at her. "Dang, genius. You got all that and you're working under Tony Stark? You could start your own company."

She never corrected the assumption that she worked for Tony but shook her head on the last part. "I only have a bachelors in business and that was too much. It is the most dull subject and all anyone wanted to do was party. Not even in good clubs, but the kind that has crappy music, crappy lights, and drugs everywhere. It was a rave every time."

Clint just laughed and shook his head. He turned to the redhead and nodded to Skye. "She's only fifteen, too. Girl's a genius." He turned back to her. "We'll talk about that club thing later. You're too smart for any of that, not to mention way too young." Skye just rolled her eyes.

They talked for another few hours before Clint relayed that Natasha and he had to leave. They offered her a trip home but Skye declined. Natasha promised that someone would clean the house of fingerprints and blood. Natasha had opened up a little at the end, still not revealing anything but sharing a few jokes and smiling at old stories Skye and Clint shared.

Clint gave her a long hug, letting Skye compose herself during it so she didn't do anything embarrassing like cry. Natasha kissed her forehead and murmured a short phrase in Russian- Skye decided to learn that next- and whispered a phone number.

She stood in front of the villa and waved at them as Clint sped away in a bright yellow sports car. It wasn't until they were through the gate and darting right before Skye lowered her hand and crossed her arms.

She waited for a minute before reaching a hand to her necklace. "SAISAF, where am I?"

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